How could you not fall in love with Irene Pollin after last night’s NBA Draft Lottery? Her mouth sitting wide open with that stunning look of shock in her eyes that their 10.3% chance of winning the lottery came true.

The N.J. Nets had the highest probability of winning with a 25% chance. She had the 1978 Washington Bullets Championship ring on or what she called her late husband’s good luck charm on her hand.

Irene is the widow of her late husband Abe: the pair holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured owners in the National Basketball Association.

They’ve owned the Green Bay Packers, Zephyrs and Bullets/ Wizards since 1964 and also have been majority owners in some point of time of the Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics. The Wizards deserved this after their tumultuous season where their best player Gilbert Arenas served jail time and was suspended for bringing guns into the locker room and threatening teammate, Javaris Crittenton during a verbal altercation.

Arenas, who was bothered by injury problems, was still awarded a very sweet deal by the Wizards before the 2009 season, $111 million over six years. After his year-long suspension the team had to start fresh and did so by trading their other two stars, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

Ted Leonis who may be buying the Wizards in the future said:

“We’re starting out with fresh air. We’re going to get a core piece who could be with us for 8-10 years.”

Abe Pollin sold Leonsis the NHL Capitals in 1999 and since Leonsis has built that NHL franchise around electric scorer Alex Ovechkin, a top selection in that league’s draft.

The No. 1 pick in this upcoming NBA Draft will almost certainly be point guard John Wall, so we’ll have to see how the new Wizards backcourt looks next year. Two things for certain, Irene Pollin’s priceless facial expression will be one that will always be remembered for as long as the NBA holds a lottery and no matter who they select it will be a wiser choice than when Michael Jordan was their GM and selected Kwame Brown with the 2001 No. 1 pick for the Wizards.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Never has dealing out a Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week been as easy as this week’s backhander that is heading in the direction of Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers. Days ago, Rogers was held at the Hopkins Airport near Cleveland then arrested after attempting to carry a concealed loaded firearm through airport security.

According to the Cleveland Plains Dealer, the police report said the semiautomatic handgun was cocked on safe mode with seven bullets in the magazine and one in the chamber.

After all the over-publicized incidents concerning athletes and weapons over the past year, with two of the offenders, NFL’s Plaxico Burress and NBA’s Gilbert Arenas actually getting jail time, you would think Rogers wouldn’t “forget” his loaded gun was in his bag.

SLAP! There’s a healthy full-on Bitch-Slap. SLAP! And that’s the sound of the cuffs deservingly being slapped onto the wrists of Rogers for this unforgiving incident.

Rogers, now a member of Jocks Behind Bars, has since pleaded not guilty and apologized to his fans and the organization explaining he did not mean to take the gun into the airport.

Burress did not mean to shoot himself in the leg outside the New York nightclub with his loaded concealed weapon and Arenas regrets having his artillery stashed in his locker at the arena in Washington but they both had to face the music.

Almost certain to face a suspension for this incident from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Rogers was previously suspended in 2006 for four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy while playing for the Detroit Lions.

While Browns new president Mike Holmgren issued a statement saying the team “will continue to gather additional information, and until the legal process has taken its course, we will reserve any further comment.” Sports Climax is issuing this statement, SLAAPP!

That’s the sound of a Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week and choosing you, Mr. Rogers was as sure as a Lebron James slam-dunk.

More Mugshots: Jocks Behind Bars – Sports Climax

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There are nude photos circulating on the Internet that purport to be taken by Greg Oden and feature the Portland Trailblazers’ injured star in all his manly glory.

When the photos first made their way into the media, Oden’s management company promised legal action against any sites that displayed the pictures. That made me think there was a pretty good chance they were real.

Since then, Oden has stepped up to the mic and apologized admitting the photos are of him and taken 1 1/2 years ago with his cell phone and sent to a former girlfriend. 

“I would like to apologize to everybody: Portland, the fans, the organization,” said Oden. “It was very embarrassing.”

It appears to be another big week in NBA-land and we’re only a few days in. On Monday, Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton accepted a plea bargain in the gun case that surrounded the team and its star Gilbert Arenas.

Crittendon agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of a firearm unlike Arenas who was tagged with a felony count and probable incarceration.

The case got interesting when it was revealed by Mike Wise of the Washington Post that Crittenton pulled out his own weapon in the team’s locker room in response to Arenas displaying four hand guns.

Wise reported that multiple sources told him Crittenton loaded the gun while engaging in banter with Arenas. But the prosecution’s court filing said they couldn’t confirm those facts. Thus, a judge agreed with the prosecution’s recommendation of one year unsupervised probation, a small fine and community service, specifically mentoring children in the District of Columbia.

The significant difference between the two situations that might have led authorities to recommend probation after a plea to one misdemeanor count rather than the harsher penalty for Arenas is Crittenton’s absence of prior gun offenses.

As was reported at the time of Arenas’ court appearance, he already had one strike against him on that front after a 2003 misdemeanor plea to gun possession in California. Crittenton might want to take note that the second time around, should there be one, will come with more than probation .

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON – Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty Friday for carrying a pistol without a license in D.C. That charge is a felony and the player awaits to see what effect the felony conviction will have on his personal life and NBA career.

In December, Arenas admitted to storing guns in his locker at the Verizon Center and an incident occurred with teammate Javaris Crittenton around that same time.

NBA commissioner David Stern has suspended Arenas indefinitely after the player made a sarcastic gun gesture before a game in Philadelphia while he was awaiting the investigation to be completed.

Arenas’ defense attorney Kenneth Wainstein said that prosecutors agreed not to seek a sentence longer than the low end of sentencing guidelines which indicates Arenas would spend no more than six months in jail.

The three-time All-Star said the guns were in his locker to keep them away from his children and went on to say he was not aware it was a violation of D.C.’s gun laws.

According to earlier reports, Arenas and Crittenton had an ongoing conflict concerning a gambling debt. Their dispute escalated to the point Arenas pulled the weapons out while in the locker room and displayed them for Crittenton to see. Some reports said Arena left a note that said, “Pick One” for his teammate to see.

If Arenas avoids jail, this incident and conviction is sure to jeopardize his NBA career at least in the short run. There is speculation that the Wizards may attempt to skate out of the $111 million contract they signed with Arenas recently.

Related Articles:

Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week Arenas & His Guns – Sports Climax

Stern Suspends Arenas Indefinitely – Sports Climax

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Gilbert Arenas should stick to basketball and leave his comedy routine off the court because he and NBA Commissioner David Stern clearly have a different opinion on what is funny and what is not.

While on the court prior to a game in Philadelphia, Arenas pointed his fingers at his teammates like they were pistols, making reference to the attention that has been given to him since he pulled an unloaded weapon out of his locker during a dispute with another teammate.

That theatrical move raised a few eyebrows including Stern’s who took offense to the Washington Wizards players’ gun gestures and suspended the player indefinitely while the federal authorities continue to investigate the player for an incident involving gun possession.

Stern originally said he intended to wait for the federal and local investigations to be completed before taking action, and requested the Wizards organization to do the same. He suddenly changed his mind after the incident in Philadelphia and levied the suspension.

“The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us,” Stern said in a statement released by the league. “I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action. Mr. Arenas’ ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

After hearing of the suspension, reality set in and Arenas was quick to apologize.

“While I never intended any harm or disrespect to the NBA or anyone else, my gun possession at the Verizon Center and my attempts at humor showed terrible judgment. I take full responsibility for my conduct. Earlier today, I called Commissioner Stern to apologize, and I hope we will be able to talk soon.”

Related Articles:

ESPN – Arenas Suspended Indefinitely

Sports Climax – Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week Gilbert and His Gun

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

The Washington Wizards of the NBA recently awarded star player Gilbert Arenas with a $111 million contract, trusting and expecting the player to lead the team back into contention for an NBA title.

Instead, the troubled player has his team sitting in the cellar of the Southeast Division with a dismal 10-20 record, four teams away from the nearest playoff spot.

To make matters a whole lot worse, Arenas interviews this week will be including law enforcement officials.

The New York Post report that Arenas had a confrontation in the Wizards’ locker room with teammate Javaris Crittenton that led to both players having guns in their hands has been confirmed by a league source. According to that source, the incident may have involved a debt of $25,000 that Arenas owed Crittenton.

NBA VP of communications Tim Frank released a statement Friday confirming that law enforcement is involved. “There is an active investigation by D.C. law enforcement authorities, which we are monitoring closely. We are not taking any independent action at this time.”

Anyone reading this must certainly be wondering what cave Arenas was hiding in during all the media coverage of the Plaxico Burress incident. How Plaxico, an NFL star, was charged with a felony, prosecuted and sentenced to serve time. How that series of events involving a handgun had squashed the man’s career and more importantly, his life.

Arenas certainly must know as much or more detail about the Plaxico event than most of us yet he still felt above the law, stored a weapon in his locker and made the decision to pull it out in view of others in the room.

Slllaaaaaaaappp!!!!!!

That was the sound of a Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week.

Sllaaaappp! And there’s another, your team isn’t called the Washington Bullets anymore!  (Washington changed the team name from the Bullets to the Wizards in 1997 because the owner didn’t like the violent overtones of the name ‘Bullets’.)

There comes a point and time where the general public, fans and the media stop feeling sorry for some of these players and this may be that time. If Arenas is found to have broken laws and is prosecuted for this asinine ordeal, the Wizards could come out big winners.

The first word you go to the team’s website is the word “character”. Imagine how much “character” the organization can buy with the $100 million of cash that would be freed up if Arenas ends up out of the league, down the same path as Plaxico.

Sllaapp! Had to throw an extra one in there on this one.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax